Category Archives: deadline

Note to HealthBeat readers: I have recently begun writing posts about healthcare and healthcare reform for Consumer Reports. Below, an excerpt from my latest post. M.M

It’s still not too late to sign up for insurance in your state’s marketplace. Open enrollment for Obamacare continues until Feb. 15. Meet that deadline, and you will be insured on March 1, with no penalty.

And if the plan you purchased in 2014 was automatically renewed on Jan. 1, you can still change your mind, comparison shop, and pick a new policy in February. There are lots of good reasons to shop around, as plans change from year to year.

Even better news: It’s not too late to apply for a tax credit that can help slash premiums. This year, nearly 9 out of 10 people who purchased insurance in state marketplaces have qualified for financial assistance. Last year, tax credits cut the average premium by 76 percent—to just $82 per month. Almost half of those who received subsidies wound up paying $50 or less. See if you might qualify for a subsidy.

Who has to pay fines?

Even if you don’t have insurance in January and February, you won’t have to pay a fine as long as you have health insurance in place by March 1.

How much will you owe? Compare penalties to premiums in your zip code

Turbotax has created anonline calculator that tallies the fine if you don’t buy insurance by Feb. 15.

To compare the fine to the cost of coverage, after subsidies, use the Kaiser Family Foundation’ premium calculator.

Why March 31 is Far More Important –Particularly for Younger Americans

The media has described November 30 as the administration’s “self-imposed” enrollment deadline, but in fact conservatives—and the media itself—insisted on a date, demanding, over and over again, that the administration answer the “$400 million question”: How long will it take to fix the Federal Exchange?

Younger Americans Are Not as Intimidated by Website Snags

There is absolutely no reason to think that 20-something and 30-somethings are more frustrated with the technical glitches than anyone else. There is, in fact, every reason to think that young Americans are not nearly as bothered by software bugs.

First, keep in mind that most Millennials haven’t even tried to sign up. This is because they are not as anxious as older, sicker Americans about securing insurance.

But when they do go to the Healthcare.gov website, a twenty-something is likely to have an easier time than a 50-something when trying to work his way around glitches. Unlike many of their elders, Millennials solve software snags every day – at home, at work, at school. Twenty-five-year-olds who have grappled with Windows 8 will not be daunted–or surprised—by a few bugs. For many younger Americans working through such problems is almost intuitive.